Uncomfortable is Awesome

Pushing Your Limits

While visiting my hometown in Texas, I was invited to partake in a neighborhood Pool Polar Plunge with my siblings. As the large group of friends and neighbors lined up at the edge of the frigid water of the pool, I tried to estimate how long it would take to cross. We stood together, aligned on this cold winter morning, ready to face this new challenge.

“Only dead fish go with the flow.”

What is it that makes us leave our comfortable homes and voluntarily partake in this insane ritual? There is no prize except for a t-shirt, and no recognition except for the smiles and high-fives of friends and family afterwards. 1 2 3 dive! The icey pool water cut like a knife to our core as we raced to the other side. This challenge wasn’t about a t-shirt, or anyone else, this was a test of character. We were doing this for ourselves, pushing to our limits to see what we were made of.

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” ― John A. Shedd

The successful do this everyday whether at home or at work, constantly improving and reshaping the steel within. It’s what gets us up in the morning and what helps us sleep at night: the knowledge that life is worth living and it’s important to live it to our fullest potential.

The pool wall looms before us. We lift ourselves up, dry off and head home, satisfied.